Mean (Boss)Girls: 4 Bad Habits That Are Good For Your Hustle

When it comes to your career, are you putting your best foot forward? Well, stop wasting your time! Your bad boss behavior might be more helpful than you think.

To err is human, allegedly, so there will be times in your professional life where you let your not-so-nice side get the better of you. Well, your resident GirlBoss Guru is here to tell you that your bad habits – when executed from a different perspective – can prove to be some of your most useful tools in business.

Bad Habit: Being Petty

Good Hustle: Expressing Wit

If you follow me on Twitter (aka my second home), you’ll note that I’ve heralded myself as one of the pettiest people in the world. I’ve tried (not really) to fight the urge, but petty usually wins out in the end. That said, being petty is an art form that only works when a dose of humor is involved. Wit can be a useful tool when working with a critical client or when you are creating ad copy to strike back at your competition. Just be sure to remain a positive human; combative behavior and slick words will never be good for your brand. However, a little good natured snark can go a long way.

Bad Habit: Holding Grudges

Good Hustle: Learning Lessons

Think about the last person who pissed you off. Still feeling the burn? That’s typical, but not very healthy unless you learn something from the exchange. Bitterness can be a personal and professional buzzkill, so try to look at the angry ending as an enlightened beginning. The next time you find yourself working with a colleague who stole an idea from under your nose months back, recollect what you learned about them and work with them accordingly. As I’ve said before: it’s crucial to your brand and your sanity to get over it and get back to the grind. Education is more valuable than resentment.

Bad Habit: Hot Tempered

Good Hustle: Fired Up

Temper, temper! If popping off is one of your specialties, you may struggle with keeping your cool when things don’t go your way in business. While losing it in a meeting is never the solution, one way to turn that frown upside down is to funnel that energy into a positive outlet. The next time you walk away from a tense meeting prepared to hit the roof, put that passion into the project at hand. After a couple of calming breaths, give that energy back to your work. Kill ‘em with kindness – not your hands!

Bad Habit: The Cynic

Good Hustle: The Solver

One of my favorite TV girlbosses is Sex and The City’s Miranda Hobbes. She was often the voice of reason among the foursome because of her knack for cynicism and let’s admit it: every business needs a critic. When your cynicism becomes louder than your solution, however, your well-intended suggestions can fall on deaf ears. My beloved cynics, the next time a judgement threatens to escape your lips, lead with positivity. Offering solutions goes over better than parading negativity.

We all have bad habits and it can be hard to check some of them at the door when it’s time to grind. Just keep in mind that there’s a different perspective behind most naughty behavior. Find that aspect and turn your bad habits into good hustle!

Eliza is part of the Contributing Writer Network at Thirty On Tap. To apply to become a Contributing Writer, click HERE.